Theft protection apparatus



March 10, 1970 A. COOPER THEFT PROTECTION APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 1, 1967 INVENTOR- Leslie A. Cooper BY EMELLEWZ KF fol ATTORNEY March 10, 1970 L. A. COOPER THEFT. PROTECTION APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet z Filed June 1. 1967 BATTERY 2 TRANSMITTER FIG.5

United States Patent Oifice 3,500,376 Patented Mar. 10, 1970 3,500,376 THEFT PROTECTION APPARATUS Leslie A. Cooper, Garden City, N.Y. (P.O. Box 3392, Charlotte Amalie, Virgin Islands of the United States 00801) Filed June 1, 1967, Ser. No. 646,415 Int. Cl. G08b 21/00 US. Cl. 340-280 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus for preventing the theft of an article which includes an alarm transmitter received within a housing. A clamp is provided for clamping the housing in a preselected position on the article. The clamp includes an operating means which is received within the housing when the housing is oriented in the preselected position. At least one position responsive switch is connected between the transmitter and a transmitter energizing means and is adapted to connect the transmitter with the energizing means when the housing is moved from the preselected position. Additionally, a further switch is provided to connect the energizing means with the transmitter when the clamp operating means is removed from the housing. Accordingly, if the article is moved the position of the housing will change to cause an alarm signal to be transmitted to a remote receiver.

Background of the invention This invention relates generally to a theft protection apparatus and, more particularly, pertains to an alarm system which is compact and portable and which easily may be connected to the article to be protected. Presently it is extremely difficult to provide adequate protection against the possibility of the theft of an article which may be moved easily. For example, telephone companies and the like have been experiencing great monetary losses due to the fact that thieves have been removing sections of telephone cable from rolls of cables. Since these rolls are usually scattered about a city in different locations, it is not feasible to provide a guard for each roll of cable. Accordingly, a thief has easy access to the roll and may easily cut off a section of cable which usually contains a large quantity of expensive copper. Additionally, it is impossible to permanently connect an alarm device to the roll of cable because the roll may be used in a plurality of different locations.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a theft protection apparatus which easily may be applied to or removed from an article to be protected.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a theft protection apparatus which is adapted to produce an alarm signal when the protected article is moved.

A further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for preventing theft of an article which is simple in construction and reliable in operation.

Another object and feature of this invention resides in the novel details of construction which provide an apparatus of the type described in which the apparatus produces an alarm signal when it is disconnected from the protected article.

In furtherance of the above objects, the apparatus of the present invention includes a housing having a transmitter therein for producing an alarm signal. A position responsive switch is connected between an energizing means and the transmitter. Clamping means are connected to the housing for mounting the housing in a preselected position on the article to be protected. The clamping means includes an operating means which is received within the housing when the housing is oriented in the preselected position. Accordingly, when the article is moved to a position other than the preselected position, as when the article is moved by unauthorized personnel to gain access to the operating means, the position responsive switch will be operated to connect the energizing means with the transmitter to provide an alarm signal.

Accordingly, a feature of the present invention is to provide a theft protection apparatus having at least one position sensitive element for causing an alarmsignal to be produced when the orientation of the element is changed.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the system of the present invention as utilized to protect a roll of cable;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the transmitter housing of the system shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view, to an enlarged scale, of the clamp utilized to connect the transmitter housing to the article to be protected.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the interior of the housing shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the elements shown in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a wiring diagram partially in block form, of the transmitter alarm circuit.

While the theft protection apparatus of the present invention will be described in conjunction with a roll of telephone cable, it is to be noted that this is by way of illustration only and it is not to be interpreted as being a limitation of the present invention. That is, the theft protection apparatus of the present invention is adapted to be utilized to protect against the possible theft of any article which may easily be moved from one. location to another.

The apparatus of the present invention includes a transmitting device which is designated generally by the numeral 10 in FIG. 1, and a receiver which is designated generally by the numeral 12. The transmitting device 10 is adapted to be connected to the article to be protected which, in the example under consideration, comprises a roll of cable which is designated generally by the numeral 14. As noted in greater detail hereinbelow, the transmitting device 10 is operable to transmit an alarm signal to the receiver 12 when the position of the transmitting device is changed. The receiver 12, which may be located at a central point, is adapted to notify an operator that the particular transmitting device 10 has been actuated to produce an alarm signal. Accordingly, the operator may then take the necessary action to prevent the theft of the roll of cable 14.

The transmitting device 10 includes an enclosed housing 16 which is shown in an inverted position in FIG. 2. The. housing 16 includes a top wall 18, and a depending integral peripheral wall 20 which extends about the edges of the top wall 18 to define a container having an open bottom. A removable bottom wall 22 closes the open bottom of the housing 16. The bottom wall 22 is removably fixed in place by a plurality of screws 24 which pass through respective apertures 26 (FIG. 4) located in each corner of the bottom wall 22 and which are threadedly engaged in posts (not shown) which depend from the top wall 18.

Mounted on the inner surface of the bottom wall 22 is a transmitter 28 (FIG. 4). A transmitting aerial 30 extends outwardly from the transmitter 28 and along the side edge of the bottom wall 22. In practice, the transmitter 28 is a portable transistorized transmitter which may be energized by conventional dry cell battery 32. One such type of transmitter contemplated for use in the present invention is manufactured by the Perma-Power Company of Chicago, Ill., and is designated by their catalogue #6370 series. This type of transmitter is adapted to produce a series of pulses when it is energized. Additionally, means are provided for changing the wave shape of the pulse so that different transmitters will produce unique signals so that an operator will be. able to identify the particularly transmitter which has been energized.

Mounted on the bottom wall 22 of the housing 16 by a bracket 34 is a single-pole single-throw switch 36 having an input terminal 38 and an output terminal 40. The switch 36 is provided with a slidable button 42 to selectively connect the input terminal 38 with the output terminal 40.

Also mounted on the bottom wall 22 by respective brackets 44 are mercury switches 46 and 48. The mercury switches 46 and 48 are of conventional construction and are commercially available. Since the switches are identical in construction only the mercury switch 46 will be described in detail. Accordingly, the switch 46 includes two contacts respectively designated 50 and 52 which are. normally unconnected. A pool of mercury is received in the switch 46 adjacent the contact 52. When the switch is moved in a counter-clockwise direction, the mercury flows through a passage in the switch to the contact 50 thereby to connect the contact 50 with the contact 52 to close the switch. The switch 48 includes contacts 54 and 56 which are similarly adapted to be connected together by the mercury pool within the switch 48. However, it is to be noted that the switch 48 is oriented in a different position than switch 46 (see FIG. Thus, the contacts 54 and 56 of the switch 48 will be connected together when the switch is rotated in a clockwise direction.

One terminal of the battery 32 is connected directly to the transmitter 28. The other terminal of the battery 32 is connected to the contact 54 of the mercury switch 48 by a lead 58. The. contacts 54 and 56 of the switch 48 are respectively connected to the contacts 52 and 50 of the switch 46 by the respective leads 60 and 62. The lead 64 connects the contact 50 of the switch 46 with the input terminal 38 of the switch 36. The output terminal 40 of the switch 46 is connected to the transmitter by a lead 66.

It will now be obvious that the mercury switches 46 and 48 are connected in parallel with each other. Moreover, the switches 46 and 48 are serially connected between the battery 32 and the transmitter 28 through the single-pole single-throw switch 36. Thus, when the button 42 of the switch 36 has been moved to a position whereby the terminals 38 and 40 of the switch 36 are connected together, then the closure of either the switch 46 or the switch 48 will cause the battery 32 to be connected with the transmitter 28 to energize the same. Accordingly, the transmitter will transmit an alarm signal via the aerial 30 to the receiver 12.

It will be noted that the switch 36 functions as an onoff switch for the apparatus of the present invention. That is, when the button 42 has been moved to a position wherein the terminls 38 and 40 are disconnected from each other, the device will remain inoperative even though the mercury switches 46 and 48 are closed. However, when the button 42 has been moved to a position wherein the terminals 38 and 40 of the switch are connected together, the apparatus will be operable in the manner indicated above to produce an alarm signal. Accordingly, an opening 68 is provided in the bottom wall 22 adjacent the switch 36 to provide access to the interior of the housing 16 so that the operator can move the button 42 of the switch 36 between the on and off position of the switch.

It is to be noted further that in the horizontal position of the bottom wall 22, as shown in FIG. 5, the mercury switches 46 and 48 will remain in the open state. However, when the bottom wall 22 or the housing 16 is moved in a counter-clockwise direction the switch 46 will be operated to the closed state thereby to connect the battery 32 with the transmitter 28 through the circuit comprising leads 64 and 66, switches 36 and 46, lead 60 and lead 58. On the other hand, when the housing 16 is rotated in a clockwise direction, the mercury switch 48 will be operated to the closed position thereby to connect the transmitter 28 with the battery 32 through the circuit comprising lead 66, switch 36, lead 64, lead 62, the switch 48 and lead 58. Thus, it will be noted that the transmitter 28 will be energized irrespective of the direction of movement of the housing 16. In other words, it is only necessary that the orientation of the housing 16 be changed from the position in which the bottom wall 22 is in a horizontal plane.

However, it is to be noted that the angle that the respective switches 46 and 48 make with the bottom wall 22 may be changed by changing the orientation of the respective switch with respect to its mounting bracket 44. Thus, the switches can be set at any preselected position so that the switches will remain open for a predetermined orientation of the bottom wall 22 and, therefore, the housing 16. To be more specific, the mercury switches 46 and 48 may be aligned so that they will be in their open state when the housing 16 is mounted so that the bottom wall 22 is in a vertical plane. Accordingly, any change in the orientation of the bottom wall from the vertical will then cause either the switch 46 or the switch 48 to close to energize the transmitter 28.

A clamp, which is designated generally by the numeral 70 is provided to removably mount the transmitting device 10 on the article to be protected. The clamp 70 is constructed so that the transmitting device 10 cannot be removed from the protected article without causing the transmitter 28 to be energized. In other words, in order to remove the transmitting device from the protected article, the transmitter 28, of necessity, will be energized.

More specifically, the clamp 70, which is shown in detail in an inverted position in FIG. 3, includes a plate 72 which is pivotally connected to one end of the bottom wall 22 by a hinge 74. Depending from the lower surface of the plate 72 and extending longitudinally thereon is a leg 76. Pivotally mounted on the plate 72 is a second leg 78 which is spaced from and in facing relationship to the leg 76. The leg 78 includes an elongated section 80 the bottom portion of which is provided with a curved portion 82 and an integral rearwardly extending flange portion 84. A hinge 86 connects the section 80 with the plate 72 so that the section 80 is movable toward and away from the leg 76. Movement of the leg 78 away from the leg 76 is limited by the engagement of the flange 84 with the plate 72 as indicated by the dotted line position of the leg 78 shown in FIG. 3.

Movement of the elongated section 80 of the leg 78 toward the leg 76 is effected by a thumb screw or operating member 88 which is received in a threaded throughbore in the plate 72 and which is adapted to engage the flange 84 of the leg 78, as shown in FIG. 3. As the screw 88 is moved so that the portion of the screw extending below the plate 72 increases, the bottom surface of the screw engages the flange 84 to pivot the elongated section 80 of the leg 78 toward the leg 76 about the hinge 86.

The screw 88 is positioned on the plate 72 so that when the plate 72 is pivoted to a position wherein it underlies the bottom wall 22 of the housing 16, the thumb screw 88 will project through the opening 68 in the housing 16. Accordingly, the head of the thumb screw 68 will be completely enclosed within the housing 16 thereby to prevent movement of the screw 88 until the plate 72 and the housing 16 are pivoted to the relative positions shown in FIG. 2.

The device 10 further includes a normally closed pushbutton switch 73 which is mounted on the bottom wall 22 by a bracket 75 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). The switch 73 is connected in parallel with the mercury switches 46 and 48 by respective leads 77 and 79. More specifically, the

lead 77 connects one terminal of the switch 73 with the terminal 38 and the lead. 79 connects the other terminal of the switch 73 with the contact 52 of the mercury switch 46.

Provided in the bottom wall 22 directly below the button of the switch 73 is a through aperture 81. Upstanding from the plate 72 and adapted to extend through the aperture 81 and depress the button on the switch 73 to open the same when the plate 72 underlies the bottom wall 22 is a post 83. In other words, when the thumb screw or operating member 88 is received within the housing 16, the post 83 will be in engagement with the push-button switch 73 to move the same to the open position.

The receiver 12 is conventional in construction and includes an antenna 90 that is adapted to receive signals from the transmitting device 10. Connected to the antenna 90 is a receiving station 92 which is adapted to detect the signals transmitted by the particular transmitter 28. In practice, the receiving section 92 may comprise a transistorized receiver of the type manufactured by the Perma-Power Company, noted above and designated R2700-2 series. Connected to the output of the receiver are leads 94 which are connected to a conventional alarm system which may be of the audio or the visual type or a combination of both. Serially connected in one of the leads 94 is a normally open contact 96 of a relay 98. The relay 98 is adapted to cause the contacts 96 to close thereby to energize the alarm when the relay winding 98 is connected to the receiving section 92 so that when signals from the transmitting device are detected by the receiving section 92, the relay winding 98 will be energized to cause the contacts 96 to close. Accordingly, even if the transmission of signals from the transmitting device 10 is momentary, the alarm will remain energized.

As noted hereinabove, the apparatus of the present invention will be described in conjunction with a roll of cable 14 which is to be protected. Accordingly, the plate 72 is pivoted about the hinged connection 74 so that the operator may have access to the thumb screw 88. The thumb screw is then rotated to a position whereby the leg 78 may be moved to its vertical position as indicated by the dotted line position in FIG. 3. The transmitting de vice 10 is then mounted on the free end of the roll of cable 14. To be more specific, the clamp 70 is positioned so that the end 100 of the roll of cable is received between the legs 76 and 78. The thumb screw 88 is then rotated so that the elongated section 80 of the leg 78 is moved toward the leg 76 thereby to firmly clamp the end 100 of the roll of cable between the legs 76 and 78. The curved end 82 of the elongated section 80 of the leg 78 will prevent the removal of the transmitting device 10 from the cable. Additionally, it is to be noted that in the present illustration the plate 72 will be mounted so that it is in a horizontal plane.

After the clamp 70 has been set, the operator then extends his finger through the opening 68 in the bottom wall 22 to move the button 42 of the switch 36 to the on position in which the input terminal 38 is connected to the output terminal 40 of the switch. The housing 16 is then pivoted relative to the plate 72 until the bottom wall 22 overlies the plate 72. For this position of the housing, the upper portion of the thumb screw 88 will extend through the opening 68 and be received within the enclosed housing 16 to prevent access to the thumb screw. Moreover, the post 83 will extend through the aperture 81 to engage the push-button switch 73 to open the same.

If the orientation of the housing 16 is now changed, as when one moves the end of the cable 100 or the roll of cable 14, one of the mercury switches 46 or 48 will be operated to the closed state, in the manner noted hereinabove, to cause the battery 32 to energize'the trans mitter 28. The signals emitted by the transmitter 28 will be detected by the receiving section 92 of the receiver 12 thereby to cause the alarm to be actuated, in the manner noted hereinabove, to notify the operator that unauthorized personnel has moved the roll of cable.

Additionally, if the plate 72 is pivoted away from the bottom wall 22 of the housing 16, the post 83 will be disengaged from the push-button switch 73. Thus, the push-button switch 73 will assume its normally closed position thereby to provide a complete circuit between the transmitter 28 and the battery 32 to energize the transmitter.

It is to be specifically emphasized that it is impossible to remove the transmitting device 10 from the roll of cable 14 without energizing the transmitter 28. In other words, the only way in which the device 10 may be removed from the roll of cable is by rotating the thumb screw 88 in a direction which will allow the leg 78 to be pivoted away from the leg 76. However, access to the thumb screw 88 may only be had by pivoting the housing 16 away from the plate 72. However, as soon as the housing 16 is moved, one of the mercury switches 46 or 48 or the switch 73 will be operated to the closed state thereby to cause the energization of the transmitter 28.

It is to be understood that the operator of the apparatus of the present invention will be notified beforehand as to the specific time that the device 10 will be mounted upon and removed from the roll 14 so that he will not act when the alarm is operated at these times.

Accordingly, a theft protection apparatus has been disclosed which is simple in construction and reliable in operation and which is specifically adapted to protect articles which are easily movable against the possibility of theft.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described herein, it will become obvious that numerous omissions, changes and additions may be made in such embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for preventing the theft of an article, said apparatus including an alarm transmitting device having an enclosed housing; a transmitter in said housing for transmitting an alarm signal; position responsive means connected to said transmitter for connecting an energizing means with said transmitter when said housing is moved from a preselected position; a clamp on said housing for mounting said housing on said article; said clamp including a clamping means movable between a clamped position in which the article is gripped by said clamp and an unclamped position in which said housing may be removed from the article and an operating member for fixing said clamping means in the clamped position; and an opening in said housing sized and positioned to receive said operating member therethrough when said housing is in said preselected position, whereby said housing prevents access to said operating means when said housing is in said preselected position.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1, and a switch in said housing operable between a first state to connect said transmitted with an energizing means and a second state to disconnect said transmitter from the energizing means, said switch normally being in said first state, and switch operating means on said clamp engageable with said switch when said housing is in said preselected position to move said switch to the second state, said switch operating means being disengageable from said switch when said housing is moved from said preselected position.

3. An apparatus as in claim 1, in which said clamp includes a plate pivotally connected to said housing, said clamping means including a first leg depending from said plate, a second leg pivotally connected to said plate for movement toward and away from such first leg, said operating member comprising moving means extending upwardly from said plate and being engageable with said second leg for affixing said second leg in a predetermined position relative to said first leg whereby an article is gripped between said first and second legs to maintain said housing in said preselected position.

4. An apparatus as in claim 3, in which said housing is provided with an aperture, a normally closed push-button switch in said housing in alignment with said aperture for connecting said transmitter with an energizing means, and a post on said plate adapted to extend through said aperture and operate said switch to the open position when said operating member is received in said hous ng.

5. An apparatus as in claim 3, in which said moving means comprises a screw threadedly received in said plate, said second leg including a flange portion adapted to be engaged by the end of said screw to pivot said second leg toward said first leg, said screw having a head portion positioned on the side of said plate opposite the side connected to said first and second plates, said screw being sized and positioned so that said head is received within said housing when said housing is in said preselected position.

6. An apparatus as in claim 1, and manually operable disconnect means connected in a series loop with said transmitter and an energizing means for disconnecting the energizing means from said transmitter, and bracket means for mounting said disconnect means on said housing adjacent to said opening, whereby said disconnect means is accessible through said opening.

7. An apparatus as in claim 1, said apparatus further comprising a receiver, said receiver including an alarm device, switch means in said receiver responsive to the alarm signal transmitted by said transmitting device for connecting the alarm device with a source of potential and for maintaining said alarm device connected with a source of potential.

8. An apparatus as in claim 1, in which said position responsive means includes a first mercury switch adapted to connect the energizing means with said transmitter when said housing is moved in a first direction from said preselected position, and a second mercury switch adapted to connect the energizing means with said transmitter when said housing is moved in a second direction from said preselected position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,452,271 10/1948 Sweet 269239 X 2,797,405 =6/1957 Stelter 340-280 2,937,269 5/1960 Miller 340-224 2,947,333 8/1960 Johnson 269-239 X 3,056,951 10/196'2 Toomi v 340224 3,192,517 6/1965 Werlin 340--280 X 3,248,722 4/ 1966 Miethe 340-283 3,327,300 6/1967 Birrenkott 340274 X 3,345,627 10/1967 Herst et a1. 340283 25 TtoHN W. CALDWELL, Primary Examiner P. PALAN, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

